Kansas City set to celebrate Super Bowl win with parade
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs returned to Kansas City on Monday as fans celebrated their Super Bowl championship.
Coach Andy Reid, carrying the Super Bowl trophy, led the team off its plane Monday afternoon before they boarded a bus caravan to return to Arrowhead Stadium. Fans were discouraged from meeting the Chiefs at the airport. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was not with his teammates because he flew to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to lead a Super Bowl celebration parade as part of his duties as MVP.
A parade through downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a rally at Union Station. Several schools in the area canceled Wednesday’s classes, and the Kansas Legislature canceled that day’s session. Officials announced the celebration Sunday night, shortly after the Chiefs defeated San Francisco 31-20.
The celebration started before the game, with an estimated 20,000 people showing up at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City to watch the Super Bowl on a massive screen. Police said Monday 14 people were arrested and 45 were ejected from the entertainment district, and fire officials responded to 24 medical incidents. The Westport entertainment tried them One but exploded to fireworks none man light mortar were died reported and district was commercialgrade shortly disturbances, and in serious. when packed an one police after also several improvised he of the in celebratory Officers a game statement. up ended, was on also gunfire 163 released. No will police reports other be from said following information of 5:30 Monday, A p.m. newly police Sunday installed said. to early sign inside Union Station proclaimed the Chiefs “World Champions!” Among those lining up to take a picture Monday area, Teetor, who were described of Mark the St. and a Louis scene Karie of game pandemonium as with they friends. watched and dancing the
much,” “I was Karie crying Teetor said. pretty
just Her happy husband to see said the he Chiefs was in the drought. Super Bowl after a 50year
cake,” “To he win added. is icing on the
The city installed generators and a temporary cellphone tower near the site of the rally, while area businesses made plans to close or operate on a reduced schedule.
At Children’s Mercy Kansas City, the emergency room at the main downtown but surgeries appointments campus were will being and be open, some rescheduled When the or moved. Royals won the World Series in 2015, an estimated 800,000 people flocked to the victory parade, shattering expectations in a city with a population of about 470,000 and a metropolitan area of about 2 million. Cellphone towers were overwhelmed by the throngs, and buses couldn’t get through. City spokesman Chris Hernandez offered no specifics on the expected crowd size for the Chiefs’ celebration, saying only that “we are prepared for a massive
crowd of fans wearing red
and celebrating a Super
Bowl victory that’s been 50 years in the making. So please dress warmly and come downtown to enjoy a family-friendly celebration.” Christie Bernard, 45, of the St. Louis suburb of St. Peters, brought her 12- and 19-year-old sons to Union Station for a picture Monday. She said her husband — a “huge, huge Chiefs fan” — died unexpectedly a few months ago. “We wished he could have seen it. But we feel like he helped them out a little bit last night. We kind of feel like that fourth quarter, he knew that they needed some help, so he gave them a little boost,” she said of the Chiefs’ comefrom-behind win.